Talking Across The Fence

Get the NEW Facebook TimeLine Profile NOW!

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:13:00 +0000

How To Get the NEW
Facebook "TimeLine" Profile

You have probably heard about Facebook’s New "Timeline" Profile that will be launched in the near future. Maybe you also heard that some folks (like your's truly (-;) have somehow gotten a Sneek Peek at this new Feature, and even have it installed on their FB Profile, even though it hasn’t been launched yet ... you want to get it for yourself???

Here is how you can set it up now too!

First you might want to take a look at this screen shot of my FB Time-Line Enabled Profile so you can get an idea of what this is all about. (I'd send you to my FB profile to see it live, but TL profiles are only visible to registered members of the FB Dev group at this time, oh! but if you follow the steps below you'll be part of that too!)

Just like the "New Twitter" full launch this summer, eventually the Facebook Timeline will be forced onto all members ... so regardless if you love it or hate it ... it is coming sooner or later to a FB-profile near you! So why not get ahead of the curve, avoid the rush, and get the TimeLine profile installed now. You will have to play in the Developer Group’s area of Facebook's site, but that is not big deal, no real "programming" involved - just type a couple words and some clicks - and I'll guide you through it!

Click for step-by-step instructions
How To Get the Facebook Timeline

Now you got your NEW Timeline Profile!My Timeline Profile

Quail Crazy School!

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 20:54:00 +0000

Quail fledglings getting ready to make the big jump!

Quail Crazy School! Got a couple families of quail on the fence and roof. The adults have flown onto the back fence and are now clucking/chirping at the fledgelings to jump off the roof to the fence and then hop along the fence and go over into the schoolyard out back ...
Quail don't fly real well!
... lots of flapping and squawking and mostly just plummeting towards the ground (especially the youngsters!). Ooops! One made the fence ... two over-shot the fence and are stuck in the neighbor's yard ... and OUCH! three took off together and smacked into the fence! They're now hiding under the juniper while their flock leader sits on the fence above them squawking, clucking and scolding them.
... maybe they'll make it to school ... maybe they won't!

A Bouquet of Columbines

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:19:00 +0000

A Bouquet of Columbines

Colorado Columbine

...beautiful,
perennial,
deceiving delicate appearance,
yet strong and hardy
it more than survives,
it thrives,
in extreme alpine regions...
blue,
bell-shaped petals
match the mountain sky
trailing sweet nectar-filled crescent spurs,
shoulders a mantel of snow white inner petals
crowned with gold stamens
a Colorado Columbine ...

Remembering the 12th Anniversary of the Columbine High School Massacre

Join RedGage

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 19:03:00 +0000

Hello, I'm a Traveler-Writer-Photographer join me at RedGage http://dld.bz/dXU7 to follow my blog & view more of my photos. Free Easy Sign-up at RedGage to comment on my content or post your own content. RedGage is the Free and Safe online community that pays you for posting your content.

How To Make A Photo Montage

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:58:00 +0000

How I Make Photo Montages (collages)

Several people have commented and emailed about the photo montages I have created and displayed recently on the web. With a little patience photo montages or collages are fairly easy to create.
I use a very simple photo editor that comes as part of MS-Office Pro - Microsoft Photo Editor (they may be including it in some versions of Windows too). I have been using this app for many years because it's simple and easy to use and it's there. You do not need to have this particular application, the procedures should be about the same with any other types of photo editing software.

For this discussion I will use the 3-image montage I created this morning of Loveland Pass in Colorado. This is a seamless collection of three images to create a single image. After covering the basic techniques I will cover another type of montage I like to create.

Outline of steps to create a seamless photo montage:

Select images.
Adjust exposure and contrast of the selected photos.
Re-size photos to fit into montage.
Open a new/blank image.
Copy and position 2 selected photos on the blank new image.
Crop to remove excess margins.
Re-size top image combo.
Open another new/blank image.
Copy new combo top photo, and then bottom photo to blank image.
Crop to remove any excess margins.
Re-size the image combo.
Save it! You just created your first montage!!!

The first thing to do is look at potential photos you wish to combine to make a montage or collage. Come up with a theme, and select photos you might want to use. Open those photos and review them in your editor window. My editor allows me to easily resize the viewable size of the photos with the scroll wheel on my mouse. I resize and test positions of the photos, and visualize possible croppings of photos to achieve the combinations I want to display in my finished montage. For the Loveland Pass montage I selected just three photos to use in the final image.
Once you think you have the photos you want for your montage, you should edit to adjust exposure and contrast of the selected photos. Then begin resizing the photos to fit into montage.

Open a new/blank image. It should be a little larger than the finished new image and I use a plain white background when creating seamless montages. Keep in mind what size display area your blog or online community, some are full-screen widths while others, particularly at online communities, have limited display areas that may be as narrow as 500 pixels wide.

The new blank image is the canvas that will become the top image of the finished montage.

Copy and position 2 of your selected photos on the new blank image. After copying the second image, I like to enlarge the "blank" image to 200% so I can position the second image flush with the first image and eliminate any gap or seam between the images.

Crop to remove excess margins.
Then resize your top image combo to match the width of your bottom image, i.e. 600 pixels wide. If you think you want to save this combined image for later use, you should save it now.

Next we begin creating the final montage image using the top-combined image we just created and adding the selected bottom image.
Open another new/blank image. The blank image should be a little larger than the width of the images to be placed in it, and a little larger than the combined height of the combined top image + the bottom image.

Copy the new combo top photo to the blank image. Then as we did before, copy and position bottom photo to blank image so there is no gap or seam between the images.
Crop the new combined image to remove any excess margins.
Re-size the final image combination for display on your blog or favourite web community.

Now Save It!

!!! You just created your
first Photo Montage !!!

The RedGage Daily is out!

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:17:00 +0000

The RedGage Daily - Sunday March 27 2011

The RedGage Daily is out!
Presented by MrBill ( follow MrBill on twitter)

Top #Featured stories today by RedGage Members:
@pbartelssc - Tingsploration - Multi-Blogging
@beautingful - RedGage a website review
@poeticheart34 - Catching Words new poem

Today in #Photography
@peggy_tee Go snap happy on holiday with these photography tips
@byfaithonly Pink Rose in October
@MatronB Passion Flowers
Today in #Travel
@Sherrysplaces 2010 Oktoberfest in Seymour , Indiana
@pennecole What's in store for history buffs in Kiribati?
More RedGage Member Stories
@ztevetevans Animal facts: Bighorn sheep
@metamit Custom Design Packages for eBay Stores
@pl1949 Car insurance for hybrids

Do you blog? Post Pics on the net? Join RedGage http://dld.bz/dXU7 Get paid for posting your content and get pageviews for your content on other sites too!

Subscribe to the RedGage Daily for updates on RG member posts, pics, and daily fun!

Join RedGage for Fun and Profit

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 09:28:00 +0000

I joined RedGage where I can get paid for my content.

Just click to join and start earning too!

!!! FREE BEER !!!

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 15:29:00 +0000

... I remember it, just like it was yesterday ...

Thumbing my way through
the campus newspaper,
looking for a diversion,
something different,
something away from the Quad,
away from the dorm,
away from the usual suspects,
tedium and boredom ...

Then, there it was! -- !!! FREE BEER !!!

... Read the rest of the story of Free Beer on RedGage!

One Stop Poetry - Where Poets and Writers Meet: One Shot Wednesday: A Place To Share Your Poems

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:31:00 +0000

One Stop Poetry - Where Poets and Writers Meet: One Shot Wednesday: A Place To Share Your Poems

Feverish Meanderings of a Mad March Monday Morning

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0000

~* Feverish Meanderings *~
of a Mad March Monday Morning

Sun Drunk Funk,
spent on Saturn's Day
ruefully remembering a Fried night.

If wishes were fishes
riding tandem bicycles,
we'd all be well fed and traveled.

Odd Mob's Sob,
while picking Colonels from a Cobb.
Too many say, "It’s not my job!"

Sitting Waiting left Hanging.
The game of the name is still the same
and you can't Love unless you're on with it!

~* © 1995 MrBill *~

Oh MY Muffins! and Other Mysteries of Fixin' Brekkie

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:11:00 +0000

Oh MY Muffins! and Other Mysteries of Fixin' Brekkie

Oh MY! ... can you believe it???

Three days running and nothing has !EXPLODED! during brekkie preparation!!!
The nuclurizer has been well behaved. As have the eggs and oatmeal. I am not sure how long this streak can last, so I will revel in it while I can!

Today I baked brekkie in my countertop oven. I do not have a real oven, so I bake, toast, and broil in a European style countertop oven, sort of an overgrown toaster oven. Today's menu was Cranberry-Walnut muffin bread. Yes, muffin-bread not muffins. I don't have any muffin tins that will fit in the smaller oven, but I do have a smaller sized loaf pan that does fit. So when I get a hankering for muffins, I mix up my muffin batter and plop it the loaf pan and bake muffin-bread!

This is just a standard muffin recipe:

2½ cups flour
½ tsp baking soda
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs
½ tsp pure vanilla extract

To which I added:
1 cup dried cranberries (Crazins)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix the standard ingredients thoroughly,
stir in the cranberries and walnuts,
scrape muffin mixture into lightly oiled loaf pan,
Bake @ 375º for 30 minutes or until top is nicely brown
and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

I make these substitutions:
1 cup milk and cut the oil to 1/4 cup
Splenda instead of sugar
I prefer using half unbleached flour and half whole wheat

You can substitute other fruit and nuts as you prefer, or go all fruit or just go all nuts! - ie blueberries(blanch berries before adding) blackberries, apples, other dried fruits (even mixed dried fruit), pecans, peanuts, hazelnuts, brazilians, almonds, etc

!!! ENJOY !!!

I enjoyed mine sliced and toasted, with a thin spread of cream cheese, and a mug of my favourite strong Guatemalan Rain Forest coffee!

So what did you have for Brekkie this morning?
Did you have any memorable mishaps in preparing breakfast lately?
Buon Appetite! ;-)

For more catastrophes "and Other Mysteries of Fixin' Brekkie" click below:
Exploding Eggs and Other Mysteries of Fixin' Brekkie

Thanks RedGage!

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:01:00 +0000

Thanks RedGage for featuring my video!

Boots Can Dance

Check out RedGage for:

NEW Blogs!
NEW Photos!!
Great Gift ideas!!!

Check out RedGage for yourself!

Countdown To Spring Time -- Daylight Savings Time Starts Tonight!

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:59:00 +0000

!!! JUST A FEW MORE HOURS UNTIL SPRING TIME !!!

!!! SPRING FORWARD TIME THAT IS !!!

Countdown To Spring Time
- preparing to spring forward -

!DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME STARTS ON MARCH 14TH THIS YEAR!

Yes! For all you chilled, frozen and frigid, sunlight deprived (depraved too) poor souls – Spring Time time is here!!! … and just another week ‘til the Vernal Equinox, followed quickly by the Vernal Moon, and then Easter! So start looking for your bonnets, get your eggs ready to balance on the equinox and then color them up and hide them for Easter!

Oh the vernal season we call Spring still begins on or about March 21st when the Sun crosses the Mean Meridian (180th meridian at Greenwich England). However, we will be Springing forward in the US to begin Daylight Saving Time. DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME STARTS ON MARCH 14TH THIS YEAR! (well except for probably AZ, HI & parts of IN, who don’t like to be team players ;-p )

Since 1966, most states have spent the past 41 years springing forward one hour at 01:59:59 A.M. to 03:00:00 A.M. on the first Sunday of April. Conversely, the last Sunday of October they would fall back one hour effectively plunging into the darkness of the approaching winter. Not only will we spring forward three weeks earlier this year, but you will get an additional week of Daylight Saving Time tacked on your rear ..er.. the end of summer time as DST now end the first Sunday of November in the Fall. [click for history of Daylight Saving Time ]

Why the Heck do We even have Daylight Saving Time to Begin With?!? No, I am not one of those. The ones that want to abolish DST for their own selfish gain. I truly believe those people merely like having their knickers in a knot twice a year. They want to punish everybody else just because they cannot remember the mnemonic! Come on! Say it with me, you know it – Spring forward & Fall back! See, wasn’t that easy. No, what I want is for the US to place ourselves permanently on what we call Daylight Saving Time making it our new Standard Time . This would serve to get the US in the correct time zone in relation to our distance from the Mean Meridian.

It would also solve the DST whiners problem of having to change their clocks twice a year. We would then have all the benefits of DST year round and without the hassle. There would be those that squawk about kids having to go to school in the dark during the winter months. Get real folks! Kids don’t need to get up at the butt-crack of dawn and go to school in the dark! Just who the heck was the complete idiot and total moron that decided kids should start school at 7:30 in morning and get out at 2:00 in the afternoon so they can terrorize the town, mall, or neighborhood??? When did school stop being a 8:30 to 3:30 school day? And who says you can’t change the school day to better use the daylight available.

So there you have it folks! A new start date for Spring Time, and it is just around the corner. Remember you only have today left to make plans for that extra hour of daylight. What will you do with yours???

P.S. Make sure you check all your supposedly self-setting appliances, i.e. TV, VCR, cable set-top box … your computer! These items may not recognize the new start and end dates for DST. If you regularly apply the updates to your computer’s OS, you will most likely be covered. The satellite dish-receivers and your cell phone clocks should be updated automatically off their respective satellite relays. The DST time changes are also recommended as a good date to change those 9volt batteries in your smoke detectors!!!
_____________________________________________________
Daylight saving time (DST), also known as summer time in British English, is the convention of advancing clocks so that evenings have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour in late winter or early spring and are adjusted backward in autumn. DST is used mostly in temperate and polar regions, where summer mornings are longer and have more hours to spare. Governments often promote DST as an energy conservation measure on the grounds that it substitutes natural summer sunlight for electrical lighting. In some cases, though, DST can increase energy costs. - Wikipedia
_________________
When we change our clocks:
Since 1966, most of the United States has observed Daylight Saving Time from at 2:00 a.m.on the first Sunday of April to 2:00 a.m.on the last Sunday of October. Beginning back in 2007, most of the U.S. began Daylight Saving Time at 2:00 a.m.on the second Sunday in March and then reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November. In the U.S., each time zone switches at a different time when their zone reaches 1:59:59 A.M. - Daylight Saving Time
_________________
Date change in 2007:
The Energy Policy Act of 2005. This Act changed the time change dates for Daylight Saving Time in the U.S.Beginning in 2007, DST will begin on the second Sunday in March and end the first Sunday in November. The Secretary of Energy will report the impact of this change to Congress. Congress retains the right to resume the 2005 Daylight Saving Time schedule once the Department of Energy study is complete.- Daylight Saving Time

Boost Your Blog and Online Earnings with RedGage

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:01:00 +0000

It's a New Year !
You need a New Online Community!
Get paid for your content !
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Got a lot of online content?
Still looking for an audience to view your content?
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noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:25:00 +0000

I joined RedGage where I can get paid for my content.

Just click to join and start earning too!

Be Prepared

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:30:00 +0000

Are You Prepared For A Disaster? When questioned about disaster preparedness, poll results are not surprising - 70% of respondents typically are not prepared if their area was hit with a natural disaster. Many claim that their area does not get natural disasters because they don‘t have earthquakes or hurricanes; but don’t be fooled, disasters come in many different forms. In spite of some respondents false sense of security, forces of nature can reek havoc on any area of the country. No one wants to think it can happen to them! In this modern world some more disasters can be added to Earth Wind Fire and Water, there are also blizzards or extreme heat, plus those man-made catastrophes we really don't want to think about ... chemical spills, nuclear accidents, or, heaven forbid, another terrorist attack.

The motto of the Boy Scouts is Be Prepared.
Someone once asked Lord Baden-Powell, the founder
of Scouting, "Be prepared for what?"
Baden-Powell replied, "Why, for any old thing!"

So what does "being prepared" mean for the average person in regards to natural disasters? No, you probably cannot be totally prepared for anything, much less all possible disasters; however, being mentally prepared is a huge step in the right direction. Emergency preparedness is more about personal (family) survival than property protection. Forget about the sheets of plywood and portable generators, this is about you and your family surviving the first few days after a disaster strikes. Here are some simple things every family can do to be better prepared:

⊕ Discuss Emergency Preparedness with your family! Things are less scary for all, especially children, if they are previously discussed calmly and rationally. Where are the safe places in your home to go in different types of emergencies, plus when and how you should evacuate if necessary.

⊕ Family Escape and Evacuation Plan - The escape plan should encompass escaping fire and floods, how to get out of the house, upper story escapes, even getting out of a flooded vehicle. The evacuation plan is about where you should go if you have to leave the house, what routes to take, and how separated family members should locate each other.

⊕ Get-Out-Quick Kit
Consider one of the small fire and water resistant lunchbox/briefcase type portable safes that you can quickly grab and toss in the car. This is the personal/family information that you would most need to start over with, especially if you were to lose your home to a disaster.

* USB-drive with scans of important documents, financial and credit information and insurance photos. It is also good in this day of cheap digital gadgets to create a digital archive of family mementos with digital photos and scans of old pictures, scrapbooks, etc.
* Passports and other IDs
* Insurance policies
* Professional licenses
* Other irreplaceable documents

⊕ Family Survival Kit
Consider a couple of those 30 gallon plastic storage bins with tight fitting lids to store these items. The following list is short and simple. This is the basics to get you and your family through the first 72 hours after a disaster hits. Battery operated flashlights and radios are ok, as long as remember to change the batteries, but the hand-crank units are much better for safety! You will find many of these items in the camping supplies at your neighborhood Kmart, Target, Walmart or other general merchandise store.

* First-Aid kitHand Crank Radio Flashlight
* 1 gallon of bottled water per person
* Half dozen Energy-Bars per person
* Space-Blankets 1 each family member
* Plastic ponchos 1 each family member
* Hand-crank radio-flashlight combo
* Hand-crank water purifier/filter
* Water sanitation tablets (iodine based are best)
* LeatherMan, Gerber, or similar type of multi-tool pocketknife
* Disposable lighter
* 100 ft light nylon cord
* Roll of duct tape (don’t laugh, add some baling wire if you really want a complete kit!)
* Spare (old) prescription eyeglasses

⊕ Always keep daily prescription medications together so they can be easily grabbed and dumped into either of the above kits if an emergency arises.

⊕ And if you happen to be a small business owner, is your business prepared? Insurance can cover the loss of physical property and merchandise, but can never replicate records. Consider means of off-site data storage for both paper and electronic data.

Hopefully you will never be forced to use this, but being prepared for the unexpected makes it much easier to deal with the unfortunate situation.

Top 10 Ways Not To Be Bored This Weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:03:00 +0000

MrBill's Top 10 Ways
to Stave Off Boredom
this weekend:

10. Take a nap.
9. Daydream.
8. Lie still and pretend to be dead.
7. Listen to some good music (if using your iPod, this can be combined with #8 ... just be sure you don't lay there twitching in time to the music, otherwise people won't think you're dead ... they'll just think you're having a seizure!)
6. Laugh. (laugh at something, laugh at anything, or laugh at nothing-at-all!)
5. Read books by people with interesting ideas.
4. Look at art.
3. Make some art.
2. Look at MrBill's photos, art, and read his Blogs on RG! [shameless self-promotion but what the heck!] (-;

And MrBill's #1 way to stave off boredom ...

1. Get together with friends and solve all the world's problems over a bottle of wine ... or drink in your friends, enjoy the company of the wine, and just forget about all the world's problems for a little while!!!

Cheers! everyone and have a great weekend!

Make Your Own Peanut Butter and other Nut Butters

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 06:41:00 +0000

Make Your Own Peanut Butter
and other Nut Butters at Home

Basically you can make "butter" out of almost any type of nut and also from many types of seeds and grains. If you have access to peanuts, then you can make your own peanut butter at home. It would help greatly to have an electric food processor/chopper like a Cuisinart or other similar brand. You can use an electric blender, but you have to do it in small batches as the butter will be too thick for the blender blades to chop except right around the blade area.

- Prepare the nuts by removing shells. Or you can skip this step by buying already shucked nuts! I use about 3 to 4 cups of nuts for a batch.
- Lightly toast shelled nuts in oven, just a few minutes at medium heat, 350° F, don't let the nuts burn. Optional but highly recommended.
- Place nuts in food processor. Fill half full.
- Begin chopping nuts with a few short bursts to break up the nuts evenly. Continue chopping until nuts have been chopped and pureed into a smooth consistency. You will have to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula several times to get the nuts smoothly ground into butter.
- If you like chunky style peanut butter, I suggest saving out a 1/2 cup or so of the nuts to add after the bulk of the nuts have been chopped smooth. Add the reserved nuts and chop to your desired chunkiness.
- I do not add salt, but adjust to your taste.
- Scrape into a container with a tight fitting lid.
- Store in cupboard or cool dry place for up to 2 months.
- The longer the nut butter is stored, it may separate the solids from the nut's oil. No worries! just stir it back together and use.

I have made Nut Butters from many different types of nuts - almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans.

Butters can also be made from seeds, though they are often called pastes instead of butters. One of the most famous seed type butters is widely used in Eastern Mediterranean and the Arabique cuisines - Tahini. It is made from ground sesame seeds. Seeds are easier to do with a food grinder than a food processor. If you have a food grinder you can also make nut butters using the grinder instead of a food processor.

Buon Appetito!

Leno-vs-Conan: Is There a Fox In The Hen House?

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:24:00 +0000

While not yet officially announced, word on the street (or at least in the back alleys of TV-land) is that NBC will put Jay Leno back in the driver's seat of the Tonight Show and partially pay-off Conan O'Brien's remaining 3+ years of contract and might even allow him to pursue a new show on a competing network as soon as fall of this year.

The NBC Leno -vs- Conan late night talk show show-down may have been settled.

Since taking over the Tonight Show from Leno in May of 2009 Conan had struggled to maintain the lofty ratings the show was accustomed to with Leno hosting, much less when Leno's mentor Johnny Carson established the Tonight Show as the premier late-night talk show. Meanwhile, Leno was also having troubles getting an audience for his new 10:00PM prime-time show.

NBC exec's had proposed moving Leno to a half-hour slot at 11:35 and pushing back Conan and the Tonight Show to just after midnight. But O'Brien balked at the idea claiming that NBC should give him more time to bring up the ratings. Rumors had surfaced that NBC CEO Jeff Zucker might just take O'Brien off the air and hold him to the current contract and not pay Conan any of the remaining money if him tried to move to another network. There have possibly been talks between Conan and the FOX network to launch a new late night show.

If this settlement comes through Conan could be off the air on the Tonight Show as soon as the end of this week. This purposed end to the late-night dispute would allow O'Brien and FOX to pursue a new show that could debut in September.

It is also rumored that O’Brien placed his TV studio set on Craigslist for sale.
TITLE: 4 SALE: Barely-Used Late Night Show - Make Me An Offer
DESCRIPTION: This is a chance of a lifetime to own your very own late night talk show–guaranteed to last for up to seven months!! Really must see to appreciate.
Information for potential buyers:
- Measures 100’ x 100’ x 32’ – plenty of room for a futon!
- Designed for 11:35 PM but can be easily moved to another time slot
- Band can be sold separately
- Buyer must honor Barry Manilow booking next Thursday!
MAKE ME YOUR BEST OFFER!!!!! (Also willing to trade for Coldplay tickets.)

Haitian Earthquake Relief - OK to Give - But Beware of Scam Artists

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:11:00 +0000

Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world, was still recovering from a series of devastating hurricanes over the past few years, and had suffered under a long string of vicious dictatorial regimes. The need of humanitarian aid for Haiti was well established even before the January 12, 2010 massive earthquake. Tuesday's 7+ magnitude earthquake in Haiti destroyed much of the capitol city of Port-au-Prince, possibly killing thousands, and leaving in its wake hundreds of thousands without food, water or shelter. Yet the call for aid for the victims has brought the scam artists out in droves!

This most recent tragedy has brought out the spirit of giving around the world as global efforts are quickly being mobilized to set up relief centers, distribute food and water, and search for survivors in the rubble.

However, this call to action and for donations has spawned a wide spread series of scams to solicit funds from unsuspecting donors that will never reach Haiti nor the victims that need help!

The FBI, Attorney Generals of the United States and many individual states, along with Better Business Bureaus are warning people to be very cautious when making donations for Haitian relief. Be most wary of any group that contacts you directly by phone, email, or mail. Also, do not give out personal information when making donations, legitimate charities will accept contributions without asking for things like Social Security numbers, etc.

The U.S. Department of State has identified two organizations that can be trusted:
Of course, the Red Cross is given the seal of approval.
The other is YELE , which was established by the musician and native of Haiti - Wyclef Jean.

The public can go to www.bbb.org/charity to research charities and relief organizations to verify that they are accredited by BBB and meet the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

You can also visit www.guidestar.org a national clearinghouse of information about charities and their performance.

BBB Foundation offers the following six tips to help Americans decide where to direct donations:
1. Rely on expert opinion when it comes to evaluating a charity. Be cautious when relying on third-party recommendations such as bloggers or other Web sites.
2. Be wary of claims that 100 percent of donations will assist relief victims.
3. Be cautious when giving online. Be cautious about online giving, especially in response to spam messages and e-mails that claim to link to a relief organization.
4. Find out if the charity has an on-the-ground presence in the impacted areas.
5. Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups.
6. Ask before giving gifts of clothing, food or other in-kind donations.
Top 6 tips from Better Business Bureau

The Oregon Attorney General's Office offers these 4 basic tips about charity giving:
1. Do not give out personal information such as credit card or bank account numbers over the phone.
2. Beware of callers who want your money fast.
3. Do not donate cash. Legitimate charities will be pleased to receive a contribution by check.
4. Be sure you are contributing to a legitimate organization registered with your state's Attorney General’s Office.
Top 4 tips from Oregon's attorney general

Scammers, identity thieves and unscrupulous charities pose a significant threat not just to would-be donors for Haitian relief efforts, but for future relief efforts as well.

Boots Can Dance

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:09:00 +0000

Thanksgiving Dinner Revolution

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:55:00 +0000

~ Thanksgiving Dinner Revolution ~

... it all started out simple enough
a small and quiet supper
for her, for you, and for me
not so different from any other Thursday
but then it began, an evolution
taking on a life of its own
it exploded into a revolution
... and the damn chicken was now three!

... twas so simple in the beginning, before
piles of green beans and other things
clamored for space on the counter top
as sacks of potatoes sat on the floor
pots and pans lined up on the stove
the rebellion cheered, they roared for more
... and the damn chicken was now three.

... quiet of the day was shattered
a house to be cleaned
table leaves to be found
pies to be baked and salads prepared
relish trays and appetizers made
we were all scurrying around
extra chairs would need to be scrounged
... and the damn chicken was now three.

... valiantly we stayed our stations, as
knives were flying, onions were dying
bread crumbs soared high in a bowl
the soufflé exploded from the middle rack
showering eggs and sugar upon the burner
strafing candied oranges for flak
... and the damn chicken was now three.

... resolved to our new dinner order
plates and forks were marched around
the table filled with clinking glasses
wine was summoned from the cellar deep
as gravy flowed into the boats
the heaping platters took center place
... and the damn chicken was now three.

... it all began so innocently
it was never meant to be a feast
just dinner, for her, for you, for me
no turkey, not this year, just a chicken
and potatoes, some beans and dinner rolls
but word snuck out
they all began to shout
first two
then four
get another chicken
run back to the store
but hungry cries came
from a dozen more!
what else could we do?
trapped unable to flee

The one Damn Chicken...it had to become three!

2008 © MrBill

This has been the tale of the 2008 Thanksgiving Dinner Revolution. For those seeking background on the Damn Chickens haiku, this may help explain why there were so many damn chickens.
Words to the wise: if you don't want to be found, get out of town!

Oh MY! and Other Mysteries of Fixin' Brekkie

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:01:00 +0000

Oh MY!
and Other Mysteries
of Fixin' Brekkie

Oh MY! ... can you believe it???
Three days running and nothing has !EXPLODED! during brekkie preparation!!!
The nuclurizer has been well behaved. As have the eggs and oatmeal. I am not sure how long this streak can last, so I will revel in it while I can!

Today I baked brekkie in my countertop oven. I do not have a real oven, so I bake, toast, and broil in a European style countertop oven, sort of an overgrown toaster oven. Today's menu was Cranberry-Walnut muffin bread. Yes, muffin-bread not muffins. I don't have any muffin tins that will fit in the smaller oven, but I do have a smaller sized loaf pan that does fit. So when I get a hankering for muffins, I mix up my muffin batter and plop it the loaf pan and bake muffin-bread!

This is your standard muffin recipe:

2½ cups flour
½ tsp baking soda
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs
½ tsp pure vanilla extract

To which I added:
1 cup dried cranberries (Crazins)
1 cup chopped walnuts

I make these substitutions:
1 cup milk and cut the oil to 1/4 cup
Splenda instead of sugar

I prefer using half unbleached flour and half whole wheat flour.

Mix the standard ingredients thoroughly,
stir in the cranberries and walnuts,
scrape muffin mixture into lightly oiled loaf pan,
Bake @ 375º for 30 minutes or until top is nicely brown.

!!! ENJOY !!!

I enjoyed mine sliced and toasted, with a thin spread of cream cheese, and a mug of my favourite super strong coffee grown in the rain forest of Guatemala!

So what did you have for Brekkie this morning?
Did you have any memorable mishaps in preparing breakfast lately?
Buon Appetite! ;-)

For more catastrophes "and Other Mysteries of Fixin' Brekkie" click below:
Exploding Eggs and Other Mysteries of Fixin' Brekkie

Gazelle: The Perfect Home Workout Machine!

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:38:00 +0000

The winter holiday season has a way of putting pounds on people and getting many folks thinking about their needing to exercise. This often becomes a New Year's Resolution, and brings requests for exercise videos, club memberships, and all sorts of crazy contraptions and home exercise machines on Christmas Wish Lists.

The current line-up of exercise bikes, treadmills, stair-steppers, and most other home exercise machines are just too gimmicky, and those machines take up way too much space at home. On top of all that, the majority of these mammoth machines end up collecting dust, being used as clothes racks, and cluttering rooms and stealing valuable floor space at home.

The biggest not-so-secret secret to a successful home exercise program is to do something you really enjoy doing, and then do it regularly. Unfortunately many people are suckered by advertising into buying exercise gadgets and machines that they do not enjoy using.

There seems to be an inverse correlation between the complexity of an exercise apperatus and the probability of owner usage - the more bells and whistles the machine has = the less likely the machine will get used! Easy to use machines get loved and used much more regularly by their owners.

My favourite way to exercise is to ride my real bicycle most of the year. When the weather is just too nasty outside, I have a Gazelle for working out indoors.

Yes, a Gazelle! You probably have seen the goofy TV Infomercials with Tony Little for the Gazelle. Get past the TV goofiness and check out a FitnessQuest Gazelle at any of several major retail chains. They have floor models setup that you can try before you buy.

The Gazelle sort of mimics walking or running, and most important to me - it is much like cross-country skiing! In any of the modes the Gazelle works both upper and lower body (something that most treadmills or exer-bikes don't do). The Gazelle provides a good cardio/aerobic workout with resistance training in one easy workout while also being very low-impact!

The Gazelle adapts immediately and automatically to different users no matter their height or length of legs or arms. No need to make adjustments to seats or handgrips. Just step onto the foot platforms, grasp the cushioned handles at a comfortable level, and begin the striding motion to start you on your way!

In use, the Gazelle is almost silent. No need for earphones (and those tangled wires) to listen to your favourite tunes while working out on your Gazelle. It is easy to position your Gazelle in front of the TV and watch your favourite channel. Why be a couch-potatoe when you can watch your shows and still get a workout!

BIG PLUS -- the Gazelle folds flat and can be slipped under a bed or couch (or just leaned up against the wall) when you need to reclaim the floor space. To fold and hide or set the Gazelle back up takes only seconds and no tools!

Another consideration for home exercise equipment is cost. Many of the available machines cost hundreds, some of them thousands, of dollars! I got my Gazelle from a national retail store for only $79.00 (plus tax of course). The Gazelle also comes in a box that fits in the trunk of an average car making it easy to buy and take home. Many of the treadmills and exer-bikes require waiting for delivery. The Gazelle is also easy to set-up. Took me less than 30 minutes to read the directions and assymble my Gazelle, and it even included the wrench to tighten the bolts right in the box!

P.S. If you really must have a gadget with your exercise machine ... the standard Gazelle model comes with a digital read-out on the center bar that displays time, distance, speed, etc. However, for those folks that have to have a lot of gadgetry - Gazelle offers a more expensive version with a "thumb-pulse" heart-rate monitor gizmo - that model sells for about $169.00.

Bagel Bungle and Other Mysteries of Fixin' Brekkie

noreply@blogger.com (MrBill) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:43:00 +0000

Bagel Bungle
and Other Mysteries
of Fixin' Brekkie

... it's been about five months since the last time I reported being attacked by exploding eggs or the infamous Tahoe oatmeal avalanche ... during this time the nukloorizer has been well behaved (knock*knock*knock on a wooden spoon) ... but like all great sport streaks ... and I truly believe my streak was much more amazing and note-worthy than what's-his-face breaking the homerun record ... after all, there are no steroids used in my pancake batter! ... but as fantastic as my streak was ... it eventually had to come to an end ...

The end of this streak was spectacular. You could even say, "It went down in flames!" ... alas, very small flames ... but flames none-the-less! And there was smoke too! Actually more smoke than flames. You know ... come to think of it ... there really wasn't a whole lot of smoke either ... not enough to alarm the smoke detector just ten, maybe twelve, feet away. Which in retrospect is probably the preferred way for this streak to come to a blistering blackened finish.

I hate toasters! So much so, that I have not had one for years! I believe the last toaster to ever step one of its crumby little feet in my domicile was sent packing with the ex ... no doubt a magnanimous gesture on my part - "Oh, let's not quibble, you love PopTarts®, you should have the toaster!" ... ok, admittedly that was self-serving. My seeming acquiescence distracted her from my treasured convection oven ... it also got the bastard bread burner out the door!

So, I don't have a toaster ... but I also do not have an oven ... well, not the kind of oven most people think of when someone says they have a loaf in the oven ... This is the second loft I have lived in, that while having a kitchen, it does not have a typical stove complete with oven. There is a tight three burner gas cooktop with one of those overhead touchpad-nukloorizer-fan-light combos mounted over it. Instead of a normal oven, I have a European countertop oven. It's just right-sized for cooking for one or two - bigger than a toaster oven (and without that nasty word in its title), but just big enough to bake a chicken or small roast, a loaf of bread, or a sixpack of muffins. It has all kinds of twisty dials and settings, one of which is a timer.

This morning, my dear little countertop oven became possessed ... I doubt it was by evil spirits since I only drink 12 year or older single malt scotch ... so it might have been a GatherGlitchGremilin® on a late summer Tahoe holiday ... Whatever got into it ... my trusty little oven burnt the basis of my brekkie - the BAGEL! No, I don't mean it was a little well-done ... I mean burnt as in torched, cremated ... charcoal! I am a fan of Cajun cooking, but not even Paul Prudhomme nor Emeril has written a recipe for Blackened Bagels ...

I had slice the bagel, selected broil, and set the timer for 4 minutes, just like I always do for my bagels or English muffins. The coffee was ready so I poured a cup and sat down to read the paper until the oven's little bell would signal that my bagel was ready to be smeared and topped with lox ... becoming engrossed in article after article in the paper I finished my first cup of coffee ... it is a rather large cup ... a mug really ... and as I got up for a refill I thought to myself that I must have ignored the oven bell and my bagel might well be luke warm by now ...

Oh nO! the bagel was plenty hot! As I opened the oven door, I was greeted by a puff of smoke and two smoldering bagel halves. The oven was not broiling away, but was still on ... inspecting the timer dial I discovered the indicator to have settled in the position between the last tick and the off tock. I had not missed the bell, it never rang! In this half-assed/half-off/half-on dial position the oven was only half hot too. But hot enough with an extra fifteen minutes to render my bagel into two huge charcoal tablets!!!

I turned on the nukloorizer's fan to clear the smoke, then grab the smoldering rings of black with my tongs and pitched them in the sink. A splash of cold water extinguished the last of their flame. Hmmm ... the garbage-gulping-thing under the sink seemed to enjoy the burnt bagels ... the charcoal even sweetened its breath ...

I then started the process again. I sliced another bagel and placed it split side up. Then gave the twisty timer dial a couple run-through twists, cherishing the sound of the little I'm done! bell each time I twisted the dial into the off position. Feeling that all of us were ready for the second inning ... I set the timer ... and crossed my fingers. I poured another cup of coffee and readied the cream cheese and lox to pass the time while maintaining a vigil on the oven timer and watching the bagels turn golden brown ...

The timer was on time this time. The bell rang and the bagels were perfectly broiled. I gave them each a loving smear of cream cheese, then decorated the tops with carefully arranged tidbits of smoked salmon. My Tigger cup full of coffee, the lox and bagels, and I then marched out on the deck to enjoy our brekkie as brunch al fresco di Tahoe!

I hope your Saturday brekkie was less eventful, but just as delicious and delightful!!!

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